Salon quality permanent and semi-permanent color is designed to last, if maintained properly. In this short lesson, I will explain how to care for your hair and keep your color rich and vibrant. There are three basic things that make haircolor fade. They are, the sun, hot water, and shampooing. First and foremost in the summer, is the sun. As we all know the sun has incredible bleaching power. Take, for example, fabrics left in the sun without any shade or protection. They fade quickly.
To protect your haircolor from the sun, you can do two things. One, you use hair products with sunscreen. Some product lines have specially designed shampoo and conditioner containing sunscreens. Other lines use styling products that offer UV protection. At Intermezzo we carry L’oreal professional’s Solar Sublime shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in spray conditioner with UV protection. We also offer Kevin Murphy’s Motion Lotion, a styling product that smoothes and adds dimension to your hair while offering protection from those nasty little UV rays, that we love to hate, and hate to love. Secondly, the only other thing you can do to protect your hair from the summer sun, is stay in the shade. Just like your skin, hair needs to be protected from harsh rays with products, clothing, or anything that provides shade. So if you do not have a lovely summer sun hat, come see our hair professionals, and let us help you choose a product that is perfect for you.
Another thing that makes you color fade is how you wash and maintain your hair. If you color your hair you should certainly use a color safe shampoo and conditioner, and use lukewarm water. Think about it like this, shampoos are designed to “strip” dirt and impurities from your hair with sulfates, and let the water rinse them away. Color safe shampoos are designed to clean your hair without sulfates, and so do not strip color. I personally recommend Davines Nou Nou color safe shampoo and conditioner. Imported from Italy, this beauty contains tomato extract, vitamin F, and Rhizobian gum, to maintain vibrancy. This shampoo cleans well, and does not leave your hair feeling stripped or looking faded. We also offer L’oreal professionals Vitamino Color for color treated hair. And one of the most overlooked elements of washing colored hair is the water temperature. Hot water can seriously pull color out of your hair. If it’s steaming, it’s too hot. Ok, I know some of us like to take hot showers (mostly in the colder months). I recommend that you feel free to warm your body with a hot shower, but when you want to wash or rinse your hair, turn the water temperature down. Then you can have the best showers without compromising the haircolor that you and your stylist have worked so hard to perfect!
And for you special people out there who swim in a chlorinated body of water, like a pool or Jacuzzi/hot tub, yes, chlorine will fade your color. It will also take your blondes from bright to dingy and greenish. What I tell clients to do is saturate your hair with fresh water and conditioner, and cover it with a swimming cap. Hair is like a sponge. It will absorb what you give it. So if you “fill” it with good stuff, the bad stuff cannot get in. Then you can just rinse away the conditioners when you are done.
With these simple rules of thumb you can add life to your color, and maintain its brightness, and vibrancy, long after your visit to Intermezzo Salon and Spa. Please feel free to comment or respond with any questions. Or, you can contact me directly or make an appointment for a free consultation.
Stay Bright!
Shawn Michael
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